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The Americas Chart a Path for Success in the 21st Century

As we enter 2013, we'd like to share with you how the United States worked with our partners in the Americas last year. The year 2012 brought dynamic new developments in the Western Hemisphere, highlighted by the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, where President Obama attended the first CEO Summit of the Americas and launched a series of ambitious new initiatives together with our hemispheric partners. Connecting the Americas 2022 is working to provide universal access to electricity in our hemisphere over the next decade. 100,000 Strong in the Americas seeks to increase to 100,000 both the number of Americans studying abroad in our hemisphere, as well as the number of Latin American and Caribbean students studying in the United States. The Small Business Network of the Americas is working to link more than 2,000 small business development centers in the hemisphere and the two million clients they serve. Women's Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) is increasing women's economic participation by addressing the barriers women confront in starting and growing small and medium-sized enterprises. We also advanced these initiatives at the Fifth Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas Ministerial meeting in October.

The depth and diversity of our engagement reflect the potential for our hemisphere to be a platform for global success in the 21st century. You can learn more about our engagement in the Western Hemisphere by watching a video with Assistant Secretary Roberta Jacobson in English or Spanish. We also encourage you to join the discussion by sharing your thoughts in the comments section below on what opportunities exist for regional cooperation in the year ahead.